This invention relates generally to a dispensing unit; more particularly to a food items dispensing unit; and more particularly still to an electrically controlled food items dispensing unit.
Frozen french fry dispensers are known in the art. An example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,498 issued to Cahlander et al: U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,847 issued to Cahlander et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,918 issued to Cahlander et al. Each of the foregoing patents discloses a french fry dispenser which includes a main storage bin, a device for moving the fries from the main storage bin into a secondary location, a means for holding the fries in the secondary location, a pneumatic cylinder apparatus for stopping empty baskets until a load basket request is made; an apparatus for moving empty cooking baskets into a position under the secondary storage location; and a pneumatic cylinder apparatus for moving baskets filled with the fries to a staging area.
While the disclosed dispenser automates the process of dispensing frozen articles and has been successful in the marketplace, there are several areas in which the dispenser may be improved. First, the pneumatic cylinder apparatus used for stopping the plurality of empty baskets until a load basket request is made and the pneumatic cylinder apparatus for automatically moving the basket filled with the fries to a staging area are often not desired by the end users. Compressed air (or other fluid) generally drives the pneumatic cylinder. While a pneumatic cylinder apparatus is often used to move an item from one position to another position, a substantial amount of noise is created from the compressor. Also, the seals and/or hoses used in a pneumatic cylinder apparatus may leak because of wear and tear, aging or other defects. The compressor may also become overheated after extensive uses of the apparatus, causing the overload protection switch to open which would disable the dispensing unit from operating for minutes even to hours. Further, a pneumatic cylinder apparatus used in a fry dispenser generally requires a low pressure for safety reasons. Furthermore, in using a pneumatic cylinder apparatus for a fry dispenser, grease often leaks into the pneumatic part of the apparatus which requires periodic maintenance, e.g. requiring frequent adjustment for the pneumatic cylinders to maintain operation. This is one of the user""s major concerns. Other issues of a pneumatic cylinder apparatus which cause the need for maintenance are wear and tear, and clogging due to shortening or other airborne contamination. And further yet, especially in a low pressure pneumatic cylinder apparatus, it is generally difficult to adjust/maintain the speed of movement.
Therefore, there arises a need in the art for an electric version of a dispenser apparatus which is capable of dispensing articles, such as frozen fries, in a similar manner but overcoming the above mentioned disadvantages. Such electric version of the dispenser apparatus should also provide for an accurate control without the need for periodic maintenance for a basket lift and a stop gate control, etc.
The present invention provides for a reliable method and apparatus for dispensing articles and controlling the movement of empty baskets or containers and filled baskets or containers. The movement of baskets or containers is controlled by electrically driven apparatuses.
In a preferred embodiment constructed according to the principles of the present invention, a dispensing unit includes a main storage area which can take the form of a bulk storage hopper, an accumulator area into which the dispensed articles are transferred during the xe2x80x9cgravimetricxe2x80x9d dispensing of the articles. What is meant by gravimetric is that a quantity of articles is transferred to the accumulator area, where the transferred mass is weighed.
The accumulator area may be formed from the same walls of the primary storage area. A means for controllably transferring articles from the primary to the accumulator area is also provided. The controllable transfer means may include a drum having a plurality (or series) of elevated areas about the circumference of the drum and a diverter shape located in the primary storage area. A drive means is provided to rotate the drum when transferring articles.
The articles in the accumulator area are retained in that area by a gate means. The gate means are selectively operated between open and closed positions. Weight sensing means are arranged and configured to weigh the articles retained by the gate means in real time. A controller monitors the real time signal of the weight sensing means and operates the drive means to control the articles dispensed into the accumulator area to a predetermined level. It will be appreciated that the gate means may be selectively opened automatically upon reaching the desired weight or may be operated by a user when desired.
One feature of the present invention is that by monitoring a request for filling a basket and the movement of the basket(s) on a loading ramp and/or between a loading area or station and a staging area or station, a controller can determine whether a basket should be released by a stop gate and/or a basket carrier or saddle should be lifted to the loading station or lowered to the staging station.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrically controlled apparatus for filling articles in at least one basket. The apparatus includes:
a) an electrically driven stop gate, wherein one basket can be held/released by the stop gate;
b) a first sensor set and a controller determining whether the stop gate opens or closes;
c) a second sensor set and the controller determining a position of the stop gate;
d) an electrically driven basket lift, wherein a basket carrier can be lifted/lowered by the basket lift between a loading station, whereby an empty basket released by the stop gate and carried by the basket carrier can be filled, and a staging station, whereby a filled basket carried by the basket carrier can be removed;
e) a third sensor set and the controller determining whether the articles should be dispensed; and
f) a fourth sensor set and the controller determining whether the basket carrier should be lifted from the staging station to the loading station.
In one aspect of the invention, the basket lift is driven by a first electric motor, and the stop gate is driven by a second electric motor. A resting or standby position for the first electric motor is where the basket lift is in an extended position such that the basket carrier is in the loading station, and a resting or standby position for the second electric motor is where the stop gate is open. Accordingly, when an empty basket is placed on a loading ramp or guide, the basket slides onto the basket carrier to be filled. One advantage of this aspect of the invention is that it significantly saves time for filling an empty basket.
A further aspect of the invention is that the first motor maintains its motion/resting positions by using a proportional servo technique.
One aspect of the invention is that the basket lift includes a lift base, the first electric motor is mounted on the lift base; a lift coupling mounted on and rotatable by the first electric motor; and an extendable/retractable basket lift assembly connected to the lift coupling, such that the first electric motor is initially turned in one direction to extend the basket lift assembly in a pre-loading position, which lifts the basket carrier to the loading station. The first electric motor is in its resting or standby position. When a filling request is received, articles are dispensed in the empty basket, and the first electric motor is turned in an opposite direction. The basket lift assembly is retracted to bring the basket carrier to the staging station. After unloading the basket, the first motor may drive the basket lift assembly back to the pre-loading position to be ready for the next request whereby the stop gate opens.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the basket lift assembly includes an outer basket lift tube; an inner basket lift tube, which has an internally threaded member fastened at one end of the inner basket lift tube; an externally threaded rod corresponding with the internally threaded member and being disposed at a center of the basket lift assembly. The internally threaded member is arranged and configured such that the outer basket lift tube prevents rotation of the inner basket lift tube. When the externally threaded rod is rotated, the internally threaded member raises or lowers, depending on the direction of rotation of the externally threaded rod. Accordingly, the inner basket lift tube is extendable/retractable from/into the outer basket lift tube.
A further aspect of the present invention is that the externally threaded rod has one end extended out of the basket lift assembly and connected to the lift coupling, such that upon rotation of the lift coupling by the first electric motor, the externally threaded rod drives the inner basket lift tube to extend toward the loading station away from the outer basket lift tube, and upon rotation of the lift coupling by the first electric motor in the opposite direction, the externally threaded rod drives the inner basket lift tube to retract toward the staging station and into the outer basket lift tube.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the lift coupling includes a motor coupling block having a bore to retain a shaft of the first electric motor; a pin transversely disposed across walls of the motor coupling block, the pin is received by the end of the externally threaded rod; and a plate coupled to the motor coupling block such that the plate rotates with the motor coupling block, the plate having an indicator for indicating rotating positions of the motor coupling block such that extending/retracting of the inner basket lift tube along the outer basket lift tube is controlled. The motor coupling block of the lift coupling and the motor shaft each has a flattened portion which allows wobbling between the lift coupling and the motor shaft. The combination of the pin/rod arrangement and the motor coupling block/motor shaft arrangement provides a universal joint type of connection between the lift coupling and the basket lift assembly.
In another aspect of the present invention, the basket lift includes a housing for retaining the lift coupling, one end of the basket lift assembly, and at least one sensor for sensing the plate. The sensor arrangement can be a quadrature encoding arrangement.
In another aspect of the present invention, the basket lift includes a lock assembly which detachably locks the basket lift assembly with respect to the housing of the basket lift. The lock assembly is in a bent shape with one section mounted on the housing, and the other section having a V-shape which allows the lock assembly to contact an outer groove of the outer basket lift tube.
In another aspect of the present invention, the end of the externally threaded rod is in a U-shape, and the pin of the lift coupling is disposed inside the U-shaped end. This allows a longitudinal and transversal clearance between the basket lift assembly and the lift coupling. Therefore, one advantage of the present invention is that it significantly reduces binding due to eccentricity and/or misalignment between the externally threaded rod and the motor shaft and in turn significantly reduces damage thereto caused by the rotation of the motor.
One aspect of the present invention is that the stop gate includes a stop gate shaft which is connected to a motor shaft of the second electric motor; a stop gate flap for holding and releasing at least one empty basket, the stop gate flap is rotatable between a holding position and a releasing position; a stop gate tube assembly having a bore to retain the stop gate shaft and the motor shaft of the second electric motor; and at least one sensor for sensing the plate and the resultant stop gate position.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the second electric motor is arranged and configured such that the ratio of the gear box with respect to the motor driver is selected to minimize back driving of the motor shaft and to allow the stop gate flap to hold the empty baskets in the holding position without any power to the second electric motor.
Still another aspect of the present invention is that the second electric motor and the gear box are arranged and configured to perform a stopping function in the event of a disruption in electrical power to the dispensing unit.
A further aspect of the present invention is that the stop gate tube assembly includes a tube; a plate having an indicator indicating rotating positions of the stop gate tube assembly such that the positions of the flap are monitored; and a hard stop disk stopped by an obstacle which is disposed in a path of the hard stop disk for providing an initial or home position of the stop gate tube assembly. The hard stop disk and the obstacle may be replaced by a sensor for indicating the initial or home position of the stop gate tube assembly. For instance, the hard stop disk and the obstacle can function as a replacement or backup for a sensor to indicate a stop gate open position. The hard stop disk and the obstacle may also provide a hard stop for the excessive rotation of the stop gate tube assembly.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the stop gate housing retaining the other end of the stop gate tube assembly, the motor shaft of the second electric motor, and the at least one sensor.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of filling at least one empty basket with articles upon a request signal, including:
a) receiving the request signal;
b) dispensing the articles into one empty basket at an article loading station;
c) closing a stop gate driven by a second electric motor;
d) lowering filled basket seated on a basket carrier from a loading station to a staging station by a basket lift driven by a first electric motor;
e) lifting the basket carrier by the basket lift, driven by the first electric motor, back to the loading station;
f) opening the stop gate driven by the second electric motor to release next empty basket; and
g) moving the next empty basket onto the basket carrier to be filled.
One aspect of the present invention is that the step g) can be accomplished by gravity.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the method further includes h) conveying the filled basket away. The filled basket can be carried away by a staging conveyor or manually by hand. In one embodiment, the filled basket is carried away by a staging guide rack, and the filled basket is transferred on the staging rack by gravity.
A further aspect of the present invention is that the method further includes i) determining whether another request signal is received, if received, continuing b)-g).
An additional aspect of the present invention is that the request signal can be a result of a normal automated action signified by a sensor sensing an empty basket in the basket carrier or by a user""s input.
Further, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrically driven lift apparatus, including:
a) an electric motor having a motor shaft;
b) a coupling mounted on the motor shaft and rotatable by the electric motor; and
c) an extendable/retractable tube assembly connected to the coupling, wherein when the electric motor turns the coupling in one direction, the tube assembly is extended, and when the electric motor turns the coupling in an opposite direction, the tube assembly is retracted.
In one aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a sensor for sensing a position of the tube assembly.
In an additional aspect of the invention, the tube assembly includes:
an outer tube;
an inner tube, which has an internally threaded member fastened at one end of the inner tube;
an externally threaded rod corresponding with the internally threaded member and being disposed at a center of the tube assembly; and
wherein the internally threaded member is arranged and configured such that the outer tube prevents rotation of the inner tube, when the externally threaded rod is rotated, the internally threaded member raises or lowers, depending on the direction of rotation of the externally threaded rod, and the inner tube is extendable/retractable from/into the outer tube.
Another aspect of the invention is that the electric motor is a servo motor which maintains motion/resting positions of the tube assembly.
A further aspect of the present invention is that the externally threaded rod has one end extended out of the tube assembly and connected to the coupling, such that upon rotation of the coupling by the electric motor, the externally threaded rod drives the inner tube to extend from the outer tube, and upon rotation of the coupling by the electric motor in the opposite direction, the externally threaded rod drives the inner tube to retract into the outer tube.
In another aspect of the present invention, the coupling includes:
a motor coupling block having a bore to retain a shaft of the electric motor;
a pin transversely disposed across walls of the motor coupling block, the pin being received by the end of the externally threaded rod; and
a plate coupled to the motor coupling block such that the plate rotates with the motor coupling block, the plate having an indicator indicating rotating positions of the motor coupling block such that extending/retracting of the inner tube along the outer tube is controlled.
Further in one aspect of the invention, the motor coupling block and the motor shaft each has a flattened portion which allows wobbling between the coupling and the motor shaft. The combination of the pin/rod arrangement and the motor coupling block/motor shaft arrangement provides a universal joint type of connection between the coupling and the tube assembly.
Furthermore, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrically driven stop gate apparatus, including:
a) an electric motor having a motor shaft;
b) a stop gate shaft which is connected to the motor shaft;
c) a stop gate flap, disposed at one end of the stop gate shaft, being rotatable between an open position and a close position; and
d) a stop gate tube assembly having a bore to retain the stop gate shaft and the motor shaft of the electric motor.
In one aspect of the invention, the stop gate apparatus includes a sensor for sensing a position of the stop gate tube assembly.
Another aspect of the present invention is that the electric motor and the gear ratio are arranged and configured such that the friction in the gears suffices to hold the stop gate flap in the close position without any power to the electric motor.
A further aspect of the present invention is that the stop gate tube assembly includes:
a tube;
a plate having an indicator indicating rotating positions of the stop gate tube assembly such that positions of the flap are monitored; and
a hard stop disk and an obstacle in a hard stop disk path providing a home position for rotation of the stop gate tube assembly.
While the invention will be described with respect to a preferred embodiment configuration and with respect to particular components, it will be understood that the invention is not to be construed as limited by such configurations or components. Further, while the preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in relation to dispensing articles such as frozen french fries and to the method applicable to using sensors for controlling the dispensing process at greater accuracy, it will be understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited by this environment in which the preferred embodiment is described herein.
These and various other advantages and features which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and objectives obtained by its use, reference should be had to the drawings which form a further part hereof and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment to the invention.